


Livery Of Seisin

by tielan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:30:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5998987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/pseuds/tielan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's pretty sure she's at Stark Industries for one reason, and one reason alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Livery Of Seisin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saiditallbefore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiditallbefore/gifts).



> A treat for VictoriaWrites in the Chocolate Box exchange. Honestly, you had me at these two being friends.

Two weeks after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D, Rhodey drops in on Maria Hill.

He waits for Hill’s aide to let her know he’s arrived, and simply observes the way the young woman eyes him as she says, “Uhuh. Yes, ma’am. I’ve put the files in the standard directory. I’ll get that checked.” He’d bet a month’s paycheck that the woman is ex-S.H.I.E.L.D – the way a lot of Stark Industries’ newest employees most likely are.

_Wonder what Tony thinks of that._ Not that Tony’s the person who gets the final say anymore.

When he’s shown in to the office, Hill is coming out from behind her desk to greet him. And the look in her eyes puts him in mind of the saying, _the best defence is a good offence._

“Colonel Rhodes,” she puts out a hand for the shake. Her manicure is impeccable and her grip is firm. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Rhodey grins. “I was in the area and figured I’d drop in on Pepper. However, her aide informed me she’s out of the country.”

“Yes. In London, wrangling company directors.” She smiles, a brief and elegant smile, without any visible teeth.

“While you wrangle the US Senate.” He watched the feeds on his way up to New York, noting the way she faced the questions of the men and women dismayed at the discovery that HYDRA had been one step away from taking over S.H.I.E.L.D, the briskly cool professionalism that contrasted with Romanoff’s arch insinuation. “How’s Rogers doing?”

She indicates the chair in front of the desk. “Alive and kicking. Please, take a seat. Do you need a drink?”

“On duty,” he says, taking a seat. “But thanks. How are you finding the corporate world, then?”

He really did think he’d made the question innocuous, but Ms. Hill gives him a very calm, very collected look as she seats herself behind the desk.

“Shall we cut to the bone, Colonel?” She doesn’t wait for his answer. “You’re not here to see how I’m dealing with Stark Industries corporate world, and I’m not minded to spout polite lies. You’re the Iron Patriot, and while S.H.I.E.L.D never recruited you, that’s largely because your loyalty to the Air Force would have clashed with the duties S.H.I.E.L.D would have asked of you.”

Amused to have been called out so clearly and concisely, Rhodey leans back in the chair. “Is that why you took a discharge from the Marines to go into S.H.I.E.L.D, Ms. Hill?”

She doesn’t seem surprised that he knows her history. “Part of the reason. Mostly the Marines and I didn’t suit; S.H.I.E.L.D offered me an opportunity and I took it.” She tilts her head. “But we’re not talking about my history.”

Rhodey grins. “All right, then. You’re in at Stark Industries – on one of the highest levels of access to both Tony and Pepper, and as a military man, I recognise a tactical move when it’s made. So yes, I came to meet and evaluate you.”

“And your conclusions?”

“Do they matter?”

In spite of her earlier comment about polite lies, he guesses that she’s thinking about lying to him. But her answer, when it comes, is no less than he expected. “No. Not so long as Ms. Potts is satisfied with my work with the Avengers project.”

Ah, and that explains the reason she’s at Stark Industries, instead of vanished into the woodwork like so many other S.H.I.E.L.D operatives. “You’re not worried about Tony’s opinion?”

“Stark’s good opinion is one of those things I can take or leave.” She shrugs one shoulder and smiles, lopsidedly. “Which, I think, is one reason why Pepper hired me.”

“Very likely.” Neither Pepper nor Tony like bootlickers. Rhodey considers Ms. Hill for a moment longer. “Honestly, Ms. Hill? Nick Fury may not have been everyone’s favourite intelligence operative, but he saw a damn lot of things coming and he made sure you saw them, too. So I’d keep an eye on you anyway. But I’m pretty sure that you’re here for one reason – because Stark Industries presents your best option for doing the same thing you were doing at S.H.I.E.L.D – protecting the world from the things that our world’s military aren’t equipped to deal with.”

Blue eyes watch him for a moment; then Hill smiles. “You know, Colonel, some of my own colleagues from S.H.I.E.L.D haven’t worked that out yet.”

He’s surprised, because once he followed the conclusions, it seemed pretty obvious. But he can feel good about working her out later, right now, he has a proposal of sorts.

“Would you accept my help?”

There’s a moment when he thinks he’s overstepped a line. She stares at him like he’s just grown wings, and Rhodey reins in on the amusement that he’s surprised Maria Hill, bitch-queen extraordinare of the organisation formerly known as S.H.I.E.L.D.

Then she grins. “I would, Colonel.”

Thirty minutes later, after a discussion about the capabilities of the Iron Patriot compared with Iron Man, Rhodey pushes the button on the elevator and reflects that it was that exact same kind of grin that he saw on Tony Stark’s face two hours after they first met twenty years earlier, and which made Rhodey’s realise that, whatever the man’s other faults according to the media, he was going to like this guy.

Rhodey figures he’s going to like Maria Hill, too.


End file.
